Rating: Very Good
Charlesbridge, 2009, $24.95
ISBN: 9781580891295
Age/Grade level: Grades 3-5
From Montgomery, Alabama, to Cape Town, South Africa, from Moree, Australia to Beijing, China, nonviolent resisters followed Mohandas Gandhi's lead to "take a stand without resorting to violence or hate."
Sixteen sections feature sixteen historical incidents around the world when ordinary but extraordinarily courageous people fought for their rights and against wars.
Each section features the historical event and the person (people) who influenced it. For example, the first section presents a snapshot of Gandhi's Passive Resistance Campaign in 1908, South Africa. It is followed by a compact biography of Gandhi. Further information explains how Gandhi was inspired and eventually started his first acts of nonviolent resistance. This illuminating column is called "More to the Story." Different fonts are used to distinguish these three features.
Although the theme of this book is solemn, the large white space and differentiated fonts encourage young readers to read on and start their critical thinking. This is a valuable read for the future historical movers and shakers.
Reviewer: Zhen (Tracy) Li, Orange County Public Library/Laguna Niguel
